Ultrasound procedures. How do you prepare?

Ultrasound procedures are fairly simple and straight forward. Ultrasound in early pregnancy is used to monitor the development of the baby and the well being of the mother to be. To prepare for an examination, You should wear loose clothing and no jewelry. You will most likely wear a hospital gown during the examination. For a pregnant woman, it usually is performed at 20 weeks.

A clear gel is applied over the belly of the woman. This is done to make better images, because ultrasound works best through liquids.
A transducer
is the moved over the area to show the fetus and reproductive organs. Sometimes, but not commonly the doctor may opt for an internal exam. The probe is inserted into the vagina and is known as a
trans-vaginal ultrasound
It is done to confirm that the placenta is healthy and attached normally and the the baby is normal and in the right position, and that it is not a
molar pregnancy
or that it is not ectopic
ectopic
( the embryo implants somewhere other that the uterus, such as the fallopian tubes ).
It is done to find out the gender, amount of
amniotic fluid,
heartbeat, and the baby's expected weight at birth. Ultrasound can also tell if you are having
twins.

There is a variety of exams done to determine abnormalities and illnesses related to the, gallbladder, liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas, bladder, thyroid gland, and prostate. These are done to detect cysts, growths, enlargement of internal organs, cancer, gallstones, kidney stones as well as other conditions. It may also be used to discover the source of pain. For more about these, please go to
types of ultrasound.
The doctor will most likely tell you to drink some water and not to urinate because a full bladder shows up well on ultrasound pictures. For other types of exams you may be advised to fast beforehand. Some exams require drinking certain fluids to show the digestive tract for colon exams etc. For a more in depth look at how it works during